On January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, a publicized mass wedding of 33 couples took place on live television during the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Music artists Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Queen Latifah and Madonna all participated in the ceremony of 33 straight and gay couples during the performance of "Same Love". Vows and rings were exchanged, flower bouquets were tossed and millions of tears were shed nationwide. Decades of prejudice and discrimination have filled the air but it is very quickly coming to an end.
To this day, 17 states have legalized same sex marriages and 33 states have enacted same sex marriage bans. Where does our beautiful state of Colorado stand on this issue? Let's just say we are getting closer and closer to legalizing same sex marriages. Although Colorado banned same sex marriages in 2006, the state did approve the Designated Beneficiary Agreements Act of 2009 which gave same sex couples some of the same rights that opposite sex marriages have been afforded. Failed attempts to pass Colorado Civil Unions Acts of 2011 and 2012 finally brought Governor John Hickenlooper to bring it to a close and sign the civil union bill on March 21, 2013 which became effective on May 1, 2013. History was in the making when hundreds of same sex couples lined the streets in downtown Denver waiting their turn to walk into the courthouses for their chance to make official their gay and lesbian relationships.
This day was not only joyous to those who wanted to be recognized by the state, but it was also a joyous time for those who wanted to legally dissolve, declare invalid or legally separate from their civil union partner. It is never easy to do any of those things no matter the circumstances, but we can certainly help make it a little easier on the legal side of things.
Please contact a Colorado Family Lawyer from the Domestic Team at Cantafio and Song, PLLC for all of your domestic law needs.